Soundgarden Reunion Could Take Place After ‘Natural Healing’

The surviving members of Soundgarden could eventually work together again. First, however, they need a period of “natural healing.”

Speaking at the unveiling of late frontman Chris Cornell’s memorial statue, Soundgarden also hailed their lost colleague as someone who wanted to be an “artist” and not a “star.”

“We’re just still taking our time and giving ourselves space to process everything,” drummer Matt Cameron told Rolling Stone. “We would certainly love to try to continue to do something, figure out something to do together.” Bassist Ben Shepherd added, “On a personal level, we haven’t even gotten a chance to hang out, just us three, yet. … We’re going through natural healing, then thinking about the natural next step.”

Shepherd recalled joining the band in 1990, six years after their formation. “One thing about Chris, speaking specifically about him, he had the spirit of ‘go for it’ all the time,” Shepherd said. “Just go for it. Push, find out where we can go. And all three of those guys for me when I joined – I was thrown in the fire – they were already rollin’. And they’re all so adventurous and so strong that they made it a totally natural thing to just see where we can go. … It was all about moving forward: What’s next. Onward. Let’s go find out.”

Cameron also discussed his 1986 arrival with Soundgarden. “There were so many moments [with Chris] that impacted my development as a musician and later on, just as friends," Cameron said. "The band was still formulating a sound, but it didn’t take long to get to the sound that it eventually would become, and to stay that path. As a guy who’s played in bands forever and ever, it’s really hard to get that so early on in the life of a band, so that’s still significant to me.”

He added, “I think Chris was always encouraging us to bring in material and contribute creatively. He didn’t have the type of fragile ego that required feeding it at all times. He wanted to be fed as an artist, not as a star.”